Anonymous
10/27/2023 14:58
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Similar inquiry about what are considered solid “mid level” clubs? Maybe for girls who want to play more competitively but aren’t quite ready for national level teams? I have a u13 who played club last year for the first time on one of the more developmental teams mentioned above, but she wants more competition. She probably isn’t ready for Metro/Paramount type clubs but wants a step up from the more developmental club type.
Anonymous
10/27/2023 14:54
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Anonymous wrote:Clubs with multiple age groups that are a bit more regional:
Monument
X factor
NVVA (many levels and leagues)
St James (white team)
Alexandria titans
BRYC (American team, as opposed to National)
I would add to this list No Panic VB if Manassas isn’t too far. Also possibly Vienna Elite and VAVA.
Anonymous
10/27/2023 14:53
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
PP here. Thank you. I should add that she wants to step up from Rec but also doesn’t want a bunch of mean girls or mean parents. She also has other interests like theater, spring musical, etc. but wants to play volleyball more competitively than Rec.
Anonymous
10/27/2023 14:43
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Clubs with multiple age groups that are a bit more regional:
Monument
X factor
NVVA (many levels and leagues)
St James (white team)
Alexandria titans
BRYC (American team, as opposed to National)
Monument
X factor
NVVA (many levels and leagues)
St James (white team)
Alexandria titans
BRYC (American team, as opposed to National)
Anonymous
10/27/2023 14:32
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Okay so we have a sense of the top clubs in DMV. What are some of the least competitive clubs? I have a kid who is 14 and played Rec but never has played club before. She wants to try out and obviously we have no connections whatsoever, no invites to clinics, etc. are there good, kinder and gentler, developmental clubs? Specifically for NoVA? She’s 14, 5’9” and is just learning to serve overhand. But she is a top player on her Rec team. Former soccer player.
Anonymous
10/27/2023 12:06
Subject: Re:Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
FPYCparent wrote:Here are some resources that may be worth consideration when looking into clubs:=
The VolleyTruth videos (YouTube):
Ep. 5 - Choosing the Right Volleyball Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3KpFW2z9PE
Ep. 17 - USAV Divisions Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ7qPaGDYuU
AES Rankings (look at historical seasons to get a season for how clubs/teams perform; NOTE that some clubs have multiple teams that compete at different levels/divisions): https://advancedeventsystems.com/rankings (You may have to tick the "Show national rankings" box to get a more realistic assessment of a team's season-long performance)
All CHRVA (Chesapeake region) clubs with youth teams: http://www.chrvajuniors.org/juniors/contacts_clubs/clubs_results.CFM
Now, if someone wants to nerd out, they can dump last year's rankings for the Chespeake region into a spreadsheet and then add a column for team fees for the year.Good luck with that!
AES rankings are based on past performance. There's no guarantee you will get the same result this year or in future years. Just like the typical financial disclaimer on any financial investment. Past Performance Is Not Indicative Of Future Results
FPYCparent
10/27/2023 11:29
Subject: Re:Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Here are some resources that may be worth consideration when looking into clubs:
The VolleyTruth videos (YouTube):
Ep. 5 - Choosing the Right Volleyball Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3KpFW2z9PE
Ep. 17 - USAV Divisions Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ7qPaGDYuU
AES Rankings (look at historical seasons to get a season for how clubs/teams perform; NOTE that some clubs have multiple teams that compete at different levels/divisions): https://advancedeventsystems.com/rankings (You may have to tick the "Show national rankings" box to get a more realistic assessment of a team's season-long performance)
All CHRVA (Chesapeake region) clubs with youth teams: http://www.chrvajuniors.org/juniors/contacts_clubs/clubs_results.CFM
Now, if someone wants to nerd out, they can dump last year's rankings for the Chespeake region into a spreadsheet and then add a column for team fees for the year. Good luck with that! 
The VolleyTruth videos (YouTube):
Ep. 5 - Choosing the Right Volleyball Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3KpFW2z9PE
Ep. 17 - USAV Divisions Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ7qPaGDYuU
AES Rankings (look at historical seasons to get a season for how clubs/teams perform; NOTE that some clubs have multiple teams that compete at different levels/divisions): https://advancedeventsystems.com/rankings (You may have to tick the "Show national rankings" box to get a more realistic assessment of a team's season-long performance)
All CHRVA (Chesapeake region) clubs with youth teams: http://www.chrvajuniors.org/juniors/contacts_clubs/clubs_results.CFM
Now, if someone wants to nerd out, they can dump last year's rankings for the Chespeake region into a spreadsheet and then add a column for team fees for the year.
Good luck with that!
Anonymous
10/27/2023 08:20
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
This is a post for those who are interested in more info about Renaissance Chesapeake. This is NOT an official PR post- so please no bashing from those who clearly are not fans of the club. We are interested and have been looking for info, as have many others. Just sharing that the website has tournament info up for some teams.
https://www.renaissancechesapeake.com/dc-division
https://www.renaissancechesapeake.com/dc-division
Anonymous
10/27/2023 07:08
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
My DD couldn’t care less about playing in college. And we can’t afford to pay the insane club fees. What is a good lower level club in Northern VA that is fun?
Anonymous
10/27/2023 00:07
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Anonymous wrote:Having 2 kids that is playing vball in college, I recommend parents balance the "winning club" vs "court time". Best club is competitive (not necessary have to win every tournament), focus on player development (ie. all players, especially young ones, get train in passing, setting and hitting). Not easy to find such balance and it can be different for each age group. Be positive and realize that each experience (good and bad) can be a learning opportunity - so parents, be an adult, and help you DD grow and mature from each obstacle.
+1. It can be hard finding the balance that works best for your DD and your family.
Most competitive club teams will play a lot of matches in a season (some play 75+). If you are worried about playing time at the U15+ level, you can ask the potential coach for a stat report from the prior year. Most competitive clubs use HUDL, so its an easy request. One club showed us a season where 6-7 players played in virtually all the games and sets while the other 6-8 players on the team played in less than half the matches/sets even fewer sets. We learned quickly which clubs focused on winning and always playing their stars vs. which clubs balance playing time with being competitive. There are clubs out there where everyone plays in 80-90%+ of matches and sets, and the teams are very competitive at an open level.
At the U11-U14 level, everyone really should be developing strong fundamentals in practice and getting a lot of playing time in tournaments. Just remember that not every player is ready or able to play six rotations at that age, and good coaches figure out a way to get players on the court in a way that gives them a chance to succeed.
Anonymous
10/26/2023 22:06
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is such a depressing thread.
What's so depressing? It's just honest parents sharing their experiences, possibly saving other parents thousands of dollars. Club volleyball is very expensive with the club fees and traveling costs. Every parent thinks one's daughter is a bonafide D1 player. They just need to face reality that it's very competitive at tryouts and very competitive once you are on a team to get playing time.
And don't forget that club volleyball doesn't obey the old saying of "you get what you pay for." Price and experience can be completely inverse to each other. The coach, the team, the club director and the club culture can make a high cost club feel terrible and a low cost club feel great, and vice versa. A lot of the good posts of this thread are just sharing their point of view---so always take what's said in context and decide whether it really applies to your specific goals and situation.
The best time to do your research is prior to tryouts, because once tryouts start you information and time is very limited.
Another thought: Unless you and your DD are both committed to--and/or need the money that comes with--a D1/D2 scholarship, then think hard about the right club for you. There are a small # of clubs who have an outsized presence in these discussions, and it almost always focuses on club success, recruiting, etc. Winning and recruiting is vitally important to families who believe their DD is good enough to play at the top levels of volleyball, but that is a very small portion of the club players in our region. Most of those players are already being recruited prior to tryouts. They can be great clubs, but they may or may not be a great fit for your situation.
Having 2 kids that is playing vball in college, I recommend parents balance the "winning club" vs "court time". Best club is competitive (not necessary have to win every tournament), focus on player development (ie. all players, especially young ones, get train in passing, setting and hitting). Not easy to find such balance and it can be different for each age group. Be positive and realize that each experience (good and bad) can be a learning opportunity - so parents, be an adult, and help you DD grow and mature from each obstacle.
Anonymous
10/26/2023 20:41
Subject: Re:Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Be realistic about your child's skills. If you are shelling out 4-5K per season and paying for hotels and trave, alot of that could go towards a semester or two in-state or a nice car. It's big business in this area and parents get caught up throwing money at these clubs without gaging the cost/benefit of it all.
Anonymous
10/26/2023 16:30
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is such a depressing thread.
What's so depressing? It's just honest parents sharing their experiences, possibly saving other parents thousands of dollars. Club volleyball is very expensive with the club fees and traveling costs. Every parent thinks one's daughter is a bonafide D1 player. They just need to face reality that it's very competitive at tryouts and very competitive once you are on a team to get playing time.
And don't forget that club volleyball doesn't obey the old saying of "you get what you pay for." Price and experience can be completely inverse to each other. The coach, the team, the club director and the club culture can make a high cost club feel terrible and a low cost club feel great, and vice versa. A lot of the good posts of this thread are just sharing their point of view---so always take what's said in context and decide whether it really applies to your specific goals and situation.
The best time to do your research is prior to tryouts, because once tryouts start you information and time is very limited.
Another thought: Unless you and your DD are both committed to--and/or need the money that comes with--a D1/D2 scholarship, then think hard about the right club for you. There are a small # of clubs who have an outsized presence in these discussions, and it almost always focuses on club success, recruiting, etc. Winning and recruiting is vitally important to families who believe their DD is good enough to play at the top levels of volleyball, but that is a very small portion of the club players in our region. Most of those players are already being recruited prior to tryouts. They can be great clubs, but they may or may not be a great fit for your situation.
Anonymous
10/26/2023 14:47
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
Anonymous wrote:This is such a depressing thread.
What's so depressing? It's just honest parents sharing their experiences, possibly saving other parents thousands of dollars. Club volleyball is very expensive with the club fees and traveling costs. Every parent thinks one's daughter is a bonafide D1 player. They just need to face reality that it's very competitive at tryouts and very competitive once you are on a team to get playing time.
Anonymous
10/26/2023 14:23
Subject: Volleyball club- recap and thoughts
This is such a depressing thread.